It was the middle of the night in the town of Juuban. Luna was racing down the street, running as fast as her tiny paws could carry her. She had made a startling discovery, and she had to tell Usagi and Harusuke as soon as possible. Soon enough, she arrived at the Tsukino's house, and she immediately jumped on top of the wall and then jumped again on top of the roof, going straight for the window to Usagi's room. Inside, Usagi was in her bed crying in her sleep, once again dreaming about Mamoru.
"Tuxedo Mask... Where are you?" she murmured as her closed eyes brimmed with tears.
"Usagi! Wake up!" Luna cried. "It's an emergency!"
Usagi's slowly opened, but she was still half-asleep.
"Oh, Tuxedo Mask, I love you," she dreamily spoke.
"Usagi! Listen to me!" snapped Luna as she jumped from the window, landing on her bed in front of her. "Sailor Venus and Artemis have finally discovered the entryway to the Dark Kingdom's hideout!"
Usagi immediately shot up from her bed, no longer sleepy.
"Say what?! Are you serious?!" she gasped.
"Yes. I am," said Luna. "Which is why I need you to wake up Harusuke, and the two of you need to transform. The others are already on their way over to the location."
Usagi answered with a nod as she jumped out of her bed, bolting from her room heading towards Harusuke's.
A little later, everyone met up in an abandoned and empty cafe in a different part of Juuban. They all went inside the shop, and with Sailor Venus and Artemis leading the way, they went to the back of the shop and opened the double doors. However, instead of them leading to the back room like your run-of-the-mill cafe, there was a strange dark portal that took its place.
"This is the place, everyone," said Sailor Venus.
"Sure looks that way," said Sailor Mars. "Good work, Sailor Venus."
"Now that we found the entryway, I take it that we're going to go in?" asked Solaris. "Not that I have any problems with it."
"Of course we are," said Luna. "Now, from here on in, we'll be splitting up. Artemis and I are going to scout ahead while the rest of you follow."
As Luna and Artemis then jumped through the portal, everyone nodded in agreement, with the Guardians following in pursuit. No sooner than everyone passed through, they found themselves in a dark cave-like tunnel. From there, Luna and Artemis disappeared in one way while the Guardians went in another way. As they made their way, the Guardians were cautious, ensuring they were ready in case of an enemy attack. Then suddenly, at that moment, Sailor Venus stopped sensing something dangerous.
"Hold on. What's that evil energy?!" Sailor Venus gasped.
A bright but dark green light shone just before them, causing everyone to shield their eyes. However, when the light dimmed, they soon found that they had company, for standing before them was Kunzite, Zoisite, Jadeite, and Nephrite, The Four Kings of Heaven.
"Well, well, well. The Guardians have come to our humble abode," said Jadeite. "We'd give you a grand tour of the Dark Kingdom, but at present, we're not quite ready to welcome you yet."
"But there's a fun place that we'd like to take you instead," said Zoisite with a mocking wink. "A place that we're sure you'd enjoy."
"Stop screwing with us!" snapped Solaris as he conjured a ball of light from his hands.
"We're not interested!" said Sailor Jupiter as her antenna extended from her tiara.
"SUNSHINE METEOR!"
"JUPITER SUPREME THUNDER!"
Solaris fired his ball of light while Sailor Jupiter unleashed a powerful lightning bolt. However, the Four Kings of Heaven disappeared, dodging the blow, and reappeared in front of the Guardians.
"Sailor Moon! If you willingly hand over the Silver Crystal, we shall spare your life!" said Kunzite.
"Oh really, is that right?" Sailor Moon skeptically replied as she bravely raised her Moon Stick. "Well, if you tell me what happened to Tuxedo Mask, then maybe I won't have to punish you!"
"Very well then. Have it your way," said Nephrite. "We've had just about enough of your cheek. Since she's refusing our demands, I say we send them to the Multidimensional Chaos World."
"And exactly is this Multidimensional Chaos World?" demanded Solaris.
Kunzite sadistically grinned. "It might be prehistoric Africa during the age of the dinosaurs," he said. "Or maybe it could be medieval Europe during the time of war, bloodshed, and bubonic plague."
"Whoa! Those suck!" gasped Sailor Moon, her face turning blue with fear. "I don't wanna go to either of those places! No thanks!"
The Four Kings of Heaven then went on the attack every one of them unleashed a powerful blast aiming towards Sailor Moon. Solaris and the other Guardians stood bravely in front of Sailor Moon, hoping to shield her from the incoming attacks. However, the Guardians got pushed back because they all blasted them with their full powers. At that very same time, Sailor Moon lost her grip on the wand. Kunzite immediately lunged for it.
"Now I'll take the Silver Crystal!" he yelled.
At that moment, just as he was about to grab the wand, the Silver Crystal suddenly began to shine. Then suddenly, it turned about and slapped Kunzite on the hand by its handle, making it shoot up in the air in front of the Guardians. Zoisite, Jadeite, and Nephrite all dove to try and get the wand, but then it suddenly began to glow in bright pink light, and then it, along with the Guardians, disappeared, vanishing from sight.
When the Guardians woke up, they found themselves in a strange and unfamiliar place. There was nothing but stones and rubble that appeared once several buildings, and the sky above was black blanketed with nothing but stars.
"Where are we?" wondered Sailor Moon. "What is this place?"
"I don't know, but stay on guard," said Sailor Mercury as she got to her feet. "We must have gotten sent into the Multidimensional Chaos World that Kunzite and the others talked about."
"I'll say this much, this place is a wreck," said Sailor Jupiter. "Looks like we're in some ruins or something."
"Not to mention there's no sound either," said Sailor Mars as she cupped her ears. "Talk about eerie."
Solaris looked around, trying to figure out where they were, but then he looked up, and his eyes went wide with shock and disbelief.
"Um... guys? I hate to borrow this particular phrase at a time like this, but I don't think we're in Kanas anymore," he said, not taking his eyes away. "And for that matter, I don't think we're on Earth anymore either."
The other Guardians then looked up, and they couldn't believe their eyes. Before them, high above in the sky, was something familiar that you'd see in a book but was right before their eyes. It was big, blue, thin white blankets on it representing clouds and green-brown patches representing the continents. It was the planet Earth. Everyone stared at the incredible sight in amazement and wondered when they saw it.
"Is... that what I think it is?" asked Sailor Moon quietly.
"Yes. It's the planet Earth," murmured Sailor Mars. "It's so beautiful."
"Wait... if that's the Earth right up there," said Sailor Venus. "Then... we must be on the Moon."
"And if this is the Moon," went on Sailor Mercury, looking towards the ruined buildings and rubble. "Then... these ruins must be..."
"That's right. This is what's left of the Silver Millennium," said an unknown female voice. "A place that was once the land of the gods in the distant past."
Everyone jumped in surprise upon hearing the voice.
"Wh-who said that?!" demanded Solaris, immediately taking a defensive stance. "Show yourself!"
In response, a pillar of light shone brightly behind them, and from that light, a miniature figure emerged. It was a young woman who wore a beautiful white gown, had long silver hair in a familiar fashion of ordango twin tails, a pair of beautiful wings like a fairy's, and had a crescent moon mark in the middle her forehead. Everyone gazed at the woman in awe as she floated over just in front of Sailor Moon.
"Wh-Who are you?" gasped Sailor Moon.
"I am the incarnation of the Moon Goddess Selene and bearer of the from antiquity," said the woman. "I am the Queen of the Silver Millenium, Queen Serenity."
Everyone couldn't help but be shocked. Solaris and Sailor Moon notably.
"Hold on, if you're Queen Serenity," said Sailor Moon. "Does that mean... that you're..."
Queen Serenity smiled. "Yes. I am also yours and Prince Taiyou's Mother, my adorable little Serenity," she said kindly. "I'm so happy to see you two have grown up so well."
"H-Hold on a moment. This is a bit crazy," said Solaris. "I mean, I think I speak for everyone when I say we don't understand what you're saying."
"I put Luna and Artemis in cold sleep and then sent them to Earth so that they could watch over all of you," said Queen Serenity. "I've been waiting so long for this moment."
At that moment, the image of Queen Serenity got shrouded in a bright light that blinded everyone's eyes. Then when the light dimmed, and everyone could see again, Sailor Moon and the other guardians were surprised to see that the ruins of the Silver Millenium weren't ruins anymore. Instead, the Silver Millenium castle was now fully restored, and it seemed to glow like new. Its bright lights twinkled, the fountains gushed and gurgled with water, and some fireworks flashed and boomed all around, giving it a magical glow.
"To help you all better understand how you all got to Earth, I'm going to start from the beginning," Queen Serenity said. "To start with, we are a race of long-lived beings born on the Moon. We protect the sacred stone known as the "Legendary Silver Crystal," a sacred heirloom stone handed down from the Moon's Royal Family. Our mission was to watch over the Earth and its people and help advance."
The scenery around them changed, and they saw Princess Serenity standing on the balcony gazing towards the Earth, her eyes filled with longing.
"Back in those days, you would often spend many happy hours staring at the Earth daydreaming of what life would be like there, Serenity," went on Queen Serenity. "Then, one day, you decided to do just that."
The scenery changed once again, and the Guardians could now see Princess Serenity standing in a beautiful meadow with the grass and trees dancing in the wind as it blew.
"You were marveled by the sight of the green grass and trees and the wind blowing through your hair. But, at the very same time, you fell in love."
As Princess Serenity continued to gaze at the meadow, a familiar young man with black in his armor and cape came up behind her, gently touching her shoulders. Princess Serenity leaned back and gazed up lovingly at the young man, seeing who it was. Upon seeing this, Sailor Moon couldn't help but smile.
"Yes. I remember now," murmured Sailor Moon, her voice filled with nostalgia. "It seemed so long ago, but I remember how I would sneak out to go to Earth just to see my beloved Endymion."
Queen Serenity then smiled. "Indeed. And it wasn't just you that fell in love with someone from Earth."
At that moment, the Guardians could see other people next to the Serenity and Endymion. However, upon seeing those people, the Guardians could not believe their eyes, for the people that stood around them were none other than the Inner Sailor Guardians with the Four Kings of Heaven. Mars was in the arms of Jadeite, Jupiter with Nephrite, Mercury with Zoisite, and Venus with Kunzite.
"Y-You got to be kidding me!" gasped Solaris. "The Four Kings of Heaven! What are they doing there?! They're the enemy!"
"That may have been true, but the Four Kings of Heaven weren't always that way," said Queen Serenity. "Before the fall of the Silver Millennium, and as the Sailor Guardians with the princess, the Four Kings of Heaven were brave knights that served Prince Endymion on Earth."
The Sailor Guardians stared at the scene before their eyes, not believing what they were seeing. But then, they also began to remember the more they watched.
"Yes. I remember now," murmured Sailor Moon, her voice filled with nostalgia. "It seemed so long ago, but I remember how I would sneak out to go to Earth just to see my beloved Endymion."
"Me too," said Sailor Mercury. "It's hard to believe, but she's right. We have met them all before."
"It was when the Princess snuck out one day to see Endymion," said Sailor Mars. "When we saw her leave, we couldn't help but follow her..."
"And like her, we were enchanted by the Earth's beauty..." cut in Sailor Jupiter.
"And like her, we fell in love," finished Sailor Venus.
Then the scene changed again, and they now could see Princess Serenity heading back towards the palace, trying to be as sneaky as she could. She had just managed to make it to the front doors and pushed open the door to find that a stern Sailor Mars was standing there. Princess Serenity jumped back in surprise to find herself surrounded by the other Guardians.
"Snuck out to see the Earth without telling us again, eh?" smirked Sailor Jupiter. "Good grief."
"Princess Serenity, you are the one to succeed the throne," said Sailor Venus. "So you really should be more careful. Or at least invite us along."
"Yeah. It's been so long since I've seen Jadeite," sighed Sailor Mars. "I miss him so much."
"You just saw him the other day, Sailor Mars," chuckled Sailor Jupiter. "But then again, I can't blame you. I've been counting the days till my next meeting with Nephrite myself."
"And me with Kunzite," agreed Sailor Venus.
Sailor Mercury then came up with a couple of books in her hands. "Come on now, girls. There isn't any time to think about boys," she said. "We have to help the princess with her studies. She still has a lot to learn."
"Yes..." the princess sighed, wearing a smile in defeat.
"Come on, Mercury. You know you've wanted to go to Earth as much as we do," smirked Sailor Venus. "After all, we all know you're dying to see Zoisite again."
Sailor Mercury then blushed with embarrassment, and everyone laughed. At that moment, they all heard a voice.
"What's this I hear about sneaking to Earth?"
At that moment, Prince Taiyou stepped out the doors. Upon seeing him, Princess Serenity gulped, and the other guardians were a bit nervous.
"Sister, were you over at Earth again?" he asked in a stern tone of voice, raising a brow. "And what's this I hear about you all sneaking out to go to Earth."
Princess Serenity twiddled her thumbs, trying to think of an excuse as Prince Taiyou stood before her with his arms folded. Assuming that the prince was about to scold her, the Guardians were ready to interject, but then Prince Taiyou placed a hand on Princess Serenity's head, gently patting it.
"I don't mind if you go there to visit Endymion, and I don't mind if the other Guardians do too, but try not to make me worry," Prince Taiyou said. "Not to mention, you mustn't forget your duty. You are the princess of the Royal Moon Family. You know how much Mother worries about you and not just because you're the heir of our kingdom."
"Yes, I know, Brother," Princess Serenity said, sighing.
"And another thing, if you must visit the Earth, you must try to show a bit of restraint," added Prince Taiyou. "I know that you have your reasons, but you don't have to go over there every single day. Furthermore-"
"Brother, you're rambling again," Princess Serenity interrupted, sighing. "I get it already."
"You could ease up on the lecturing, Prince Taiyou," said Sailor Mars. "That's pretty much my job."
"Besides, if you keep lecturing the princess like that, people are going to think you're a stick in the mud, and you'll never get the girls to like you," added Sailor Venus with a wink.
Prince Taiyou then blushed in indigence. "I resent that!" he spoke with a flustered blush. "I'll have you know that the girls find me very charming!"
Everyone laughed, and even Prince Taiyou couldn't help but crack a smile as they went back into the palace.
"Yes, I remember now," said Sailor Mercury smiling nostalgically. "The Silver Millennium as it once was."
"Me too," murmured Sailor Mars. "Those were the happy days back then."
"Truly the best times of our lives," said Sailor Venus.
Solaris was feeling nostalgic as well as he remembered, but then he frowned, feeling puzzled.
"But, if the Silver Millennium was that prosperous, what happened to it?" he asked. "How did the Silver Millennium fall to ruin?"
The landscape once again changed, and everyone found themselves back in the ruins of the Silver Millennium, and Queen Serenity reappeared before them.
"To answer that question, we need one more person to tell the story," said Queen Serenity. "Please excuse me, Solaris."
She then turned towards Solaris, floated over to him, and touched the middle of his forehead with her hand. At that moment, Solaris' forehead began to shine, revealing the symbol of the Sun. His eyes went vacant as a sphere of light concealed him. The Guardians shielded their eyes, blinded as it overtook their eyes.
Meanwhile, Artemis and Luna were still searching in the tunnels. However, they soon were quick to find that the Guardians were nowhere around.
"What happened to the others?!" panted Luna. "I can't sense them anymore."
"I don't know," said Artemis. "Looks like we'll have to find the Dark Kingdom by ourselves."
Then, they saw the light towards the end of the tunnels. The two felines pressed onward until they finally emerged from them. No sooner than they did, a cold wind went through their fur, making them shiver. They both then gasped, for before their eyes was a frozen land covered with blankets of white snow. As the cold wind blew, more of the white powder came raining down, already covering them in a short coat of it.
"Where are we?!" Luna yelled through the howling wind.
"Isn't it obvious?!" Artemis yelled back. "We're in the Arctic!"
The light shrouding Solaris eventually faded, allowing the Guardians to see again finally. When they looked back at Solaris, they saw that he was no longer himself.; his outfit turned into a white suit with gold trims on the sleeves, pants, golden armor on his chest, hands, feet, and a white cape. His eyes then closed and opened, revealing them to be silver. The Guardians gasped as he turned towards them, his cape fluttering in the wind.
"Is that..." began Sailor Venus.
"Prince Taiyou!" finished Sailor Mars.
Prince Taiyou then smiled. "Hello, Guardians," he said, bowing politely. "It is good to see all of you." He then looked towards Queen Serenity. "And it's a pleasure to see you again, Mother."
"The same goes for me as well, my son," Queen Serenity said.
"W-Wait! You're not going to attack us again, are you?!" Sailor Moon said worriedly. "I mean, the last time you came out, you went crazy!"
Prince Taiyou chuckled. "There's no need to fear, Sailor Moon. I can assure you; I will not harm you. The Me you saw back when I first awoke resulted from a premature awakening. But I'll get to that later." His face then turned serious. "Mother, I take it you summoned me because..."
"Yes. It's time for the Guardians to know the full story of the fall of our kingdom," said Queen Serenity. "I'd tell them myself, but you would be far suited in telling the story than I."
"If that's what you wish, Mother," Prince Taiyou said. Then he turned towards the Guardians. "Guardians, I thought it'd be fair to warn you first. What I'm about to tell you might shock you. Are you prepared to know the truth?"
All of the Guardians looked at each other. Then they all gave Prince Taiyou a nod.
"Very well then. I shall begin," said Prince Taiyou.
The scenery around them began to change once again. This time, the Guardians could see a courtyard filled to the brim with flowers, with Princess Serenity and Endymion spending time together as Prince Taiyou began his tale.
"Just as you all have heard already, the Silver Millennium was once a prosperous place with happiness and joy," he said. "However, what you all don't know was the reason it fell to ruin. And that reason was due to one woman's jealousy."
"A woman's jealousy?" puzzled Sailor Jupiter. "What do you mean?"
Prince Taiyou then pointed towards somewhere behind them, causing them all to turn around. They saw a woman hiding in the bushes watching them from afar when they did. At first, they couldn't tell who the woman was, but then the woman peeked out so she could get a look. She had a familiar crop of long red hair and eyes matching in color, but she wore a short dress with white, purple, and even pink colors and wore brown sandals. The Guardians then gasped in shock upon recognizing the girl.
"No way!" gasped Sailor Moon.
"It... can't be!" spoke Sailor Mercury in bewilderment.
"Is that who I think it is?" asked Sailor Venus in disbelief.
"Yes, that is the one who you all came to know as Queen Beryl," said Prince Taiyou solemnly.
Artemis and Luna battled through the blizzard and searched for the Dark Kingdom's base. Artemis then stumbled, falling into the snow, causing Luna to worry.
"Come on, Artemis! You can't give up!" urged Luna. "Be strong!"
Artemis then got back up to his feet. "I'm all right, Luna," he reassured. "I'm more concerned about you. Aren't you getting tired?"
"Don't worry. I'm fine," Luna spoke bravely. "I've no intention of dying until we find that hideout!"
The two then pressed on the icy cold wind nipping at their faces. Then they noticed something. A large dark pit was just ahead of them, emitting a pillar of purple smoke like a volcano. The two then rushed on over to it and looked down. It appeared to be so deep that it was almost bottomless. The two then realized what this dark pit was.
"Is that...?!" wondered Luna.
"Yes! It is!" Artemis spoke with a hint of victory in his voice. "We finally found the entrance to the Dark Kingdom's hideout!"
"Then let's go tell the others!" said Luna. "Quickly, before anyone finds out we're here!"
They were just about to dash away when suddenly, Kunzite, Zoisite, Nephrite, and Jadeite appeared before them, barring their way.
"Sorry, but you're too late!" said Kunzite.
"I don't believe it!" gasped Sailor Moon. "Is that Queen Beryl?!"
"She looks so... normal," spoke Sailor Jupiter.
"Indeed, but back then, she was just Beryl, a young sorceress from Earth who was in love with Endymion as much as Serenity. She was once a good friend of ours, but then those feelings of love began to take shape her feelings of jealousy. She wanted nothing more than to have Endymion all to herself, and she would do whatever she took to obtain that dream. And things only got worse from there."
The scenery changed again, and the Guardians could now see the people of Earth going about their way of living their peaceful lives. Then they looked up and noticed that the sky had turned an eerie violet color, causing them to gaze upwards with fright. At that moment, a sinister face appeared from above with glowing green eyes and a red cross above them.
"An evil creature invaded the Earth aiming to conquer the beautiful planet for itself," went on Taiyou. "And due to the malice feelings in Beryl's heart, the evil being corrupted her heart and used her to lead a revolt against the Moon Kingdom corrupting every single human on the planet. Even the Four Kings of Heaven fell prey to this evil power. Prince Endymion, the only person who managed to stay uncorrupted, vowed to protect the Moon Kingdom, rescue his people, and protect the one he loved. But..."
They now could see the Moon Kingdom once again. But, this time, flames of war blazed the area, and the metallic clangs of swords and the screams of people filled the air. Among them, Prince Endymion was fighting alongside Prince Taiyou, protecting her from harm as Queen Beryl stood before them, cackling with triumph as a powerful blast struck the palace sending Endymion into the air. Princess Serenity jumped into the air after him, not wanting to be apart from him, but then another attack was unleashed from the sky, hitting the two of them, killing them instantly. The Guardians were horrified as Prince Taiyou continued.
"Alas, while trying to protect Serenity and not wanting to be apart from him, both the princess and Endymion were slain," he spoke quietly. "Rather than see her beloved people dying left and right and not wanting this evil to run rampant any longer, my mother made the ultimate sacrifice."
Amongst the rubble and destruction, Queen Serenity stood before Queen Beryl, her eyes filled with tears and Luna, Artemis, and Prince Taiyou by her side. She raised the Cresent Moon Wand above her head, and the Silver Crystal on top of it began to shine in bright pink light. It shone throughout the area blinding everyone with its glow. Within seconds, the light dissipated, and the army of Earth and Queen Beryl all vanished without a trace. At the same time, all the people who perished, including Princess Serenity, Endymion, and the other guardians, all began to float into the stars heading towards the Earth.
"By using the power of the Silver Crystal, my Mother sealed the evil and sent my sister as well as myself, Endymion, the Guardians, and all the other citizens of the Moon to the future reincarnated so we could live normal lives at the cost of her own life. But in the process, the Silver Millennium had turned to ruins you see today and also left me with some - complications."
"Do you mean back when you... or rather Harusuke went berserk?" asked Sailor Moon.
Prince Taiyou gave a sad nod. "Yes, while I got reincarnated as Harusuke Tsukino, but that didn't mean that the pain and despair I felt on that day dissipated. It happened around the time, Harusuke absorbed Nephrite's energy. The shock of it all awakened my consciousness inside of his mind, and when I saw Queen Beryl when she appeared, it wasn't long before I took possession of his body, wanting to kill her for revenge for what she did, but it didn't last very long. After a few other instances, I completely took over his body when he was close to death. However, I was disoriented and confused at the time. Thankfully, thanks to Sailor Moon's Moon Healing Escalation, the grudges and the hatred I felt were gone."
Then the scenery changed one more time, and they soon found themselves on the Moon once again in the ruins of the Silver Millennium. The Guardians all stood there now, more dumbfounded and shocked than ever before. Prince Taiyou, who now had an apologetic look on his face, then bowed before the Sailor Guardians and Queen Serenity.
"Allow me to take this moment to apologize, my friends and family," he said with a hint of remorse. "I not only failed to protect you, but I allowed myself to be consumed with anger and hate and almost harmed you. I only hope that you all can find it in your hearts to forgive me."
Queen Serenity then floated over to Prince Taiyou and spoke kindly to him. "Please, Prince Taiyou. Raise your head. There's no need for you to apologize. You fought as hard as I would expect for someone in the Royal Family, and no one blames you at all."
Prince Taiyou looked up in surprise. Sailor Moon then stepped forward and touched Prince Taiyou's shoulders, smiling kindly.
"She's right. You have no reason to blame yourself for anything," she said. "You did your best to protect us, and you served us well not only as a Guardian but as my big brother and loyal friend."
The other Guardians smiled, nodding in agreement. Prince Taiyou stared at them, and a smile worked its way to his cheeks as his eyes brimmed with tears.
"Thank you. Thank you all," Prince Taiyou said. "Your kindness knows no boundaries."
Then suddenly, the light within Prince Taiyou's eyes flickered, as did the image of Queen Serenity. It happened, again and again, causing Guardians to grow worried.
"Wh-What's going on?!" asked Sailor Moon.
"I'm afraid that our time is up," said Prince Taiyou. "Which means... I'm afraid it's time to say goodbye. I will eventually fade away and disappear into Harusuke's conscious, and Mother will soon dissipate fading away as well."
"But... wait! How are we supposed to get back?!" asked Sailor Venus. "We have no way of-"
"Don't worry. The Crescent Moon Wand will guide you back to where you belong," said Queen Serenity. "But before you all go, there's one more thing that I have to say. Firstly, Prince Taiyou, Solaris, Harusuke Tsukino, make sure you protect your sister and the other Guardians, no matter what. What truly makes you a powerful warrior is your unwavering love and loyalty to your friends and family. Never forget that."
"I won't, Mother," said Prince Taiyou as he bowed.
"Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Venus," went on Queen Serenity. "Make sure you four also protect the princess as well as the prince."
The four guardians nodded, acknowledging her order. Finally, Queen Serenity turned towards Sailor Moon.
"And my dearest daughter, Serenity," she said. "Never forget that the Silver Crystal follows your heart. You are also a princess as well as Sailor Moon, the Guardian of love and justice, both things to take pride in because they are a part of you, but the one thing that you must take pride and underneath it, all, is that you are you, a normal girl named Usagi. Never lose sight of that. Make sure you defeat Queen Beryl and Queen Metallia and restore the peace to the Earth."
Queen Serenity faded from existence at that moment, and Prince Taiyou's eyes went blank, and he turned back into Solaris. At the same time, the Cresent Moon Wand with the Silver Crystal suddenly began to glow, and all of the Guardians got sucked into the light disappearing inside it.
The Guardians soon found themselves back in the tunnels like before as the Crescent Moon Wand fell to the floor. Everyone stood there completely dumbfounded and shocked by what they had just experienced.
"Queen Serenity..." Sailor Moon spoke, her eyes filling with tears.
"So that's what happened," said Sailor Jupiter.
"It all makes sense now," said Sailor Venus.
"Now we know why we got chosen as Guardians," said Sailor Mars. "It was to protect this planet."
"And Queen Serenity... she gave up so much for her people and us," spoke Solaris. "She even sacrificed her own life just to let us live."
"Solaris, you're back," gasped Sailor Mercury. "And did you... hear everything?"
"Yes. I did," nodded Solaris. "It was a bit strange, but I could see everything that was happening while Prince Taiyou possessed me, so I know everything that he said."
Sailor Moon then bent down and picked up the Crescent Moon Wand, tenderly cradling it.
"Thank you so much, Mother," she said. "We won't let your sacrifice for us be in vain."
Then suddenly, there was a pair of voices that cried out in pain along with a powerful blast.
"Help!"
"Argh!'
Everyone immediately recognized them.
"That sounded like Luna and Artemis!" cried Sailor Venus.
"They must be in trouble!" cried Sailor Mars. "Let's go!"
The Guardians rushed down the tunnel, turned around a corner, and saw a terrible sight. Luna and Artemis were on the ground battered and beaten while Kunzite, Zoisite, Nephrite, and Jadeite stood above them, ready to deliver the finishing blow.
"Luna!" cried Sailor Moon.
"Artemis!" yelled Sailor Venus.
"Leave them alone!" yelled Solaris. "We won't let you hurt them anymore!"
The Four Kings of Heaven were surprised to see the Guardians standing before them.
"This is impossible!" gasped Zoisite. "It can't be!"
"The Guardians?!" growled Kunzite. "But how are you all here?! We sent you away to the Multidimensional Chaos World!"
"Well, too bad for you guys," smirked Sailor Jupiter. " Things don't always work out the way you planned."
"However, thanks to you, we've regained all of our memories of the past!" said Sailor Venus.
"Including to who all of you are truly are," said Sailor Mars and Mercury together.
"What do you mean by that?" demanded Nephrite.
Solaris then stepped forward. "Kunzite, Zoisite, Nephrite, and Jadeite, please listen to us," he said. "We're not your enemies, and all of you aren't ours either. Queen Beryl is your true enemy. She's tricked you into thinking that you're all destined to serve her, but in truth, you're all meant to serve Endymion, the prince of Earth!"
The Four Kings of Heaven were surprised, but that surprise quickly was replaced with anger.
"You lie! Queen Beryl would never betray us!" snapped Jadeite. "You're just trying to deceive us!"
"It's the truth!" Solaris snapped back. "Endymion is your true master, and Beryl is nothing more but a sorcerer manipulating you for her plans! Please, try to remember and go back to how you were before!"
"And return Tuxedo Mask- I mean Endymion!" Sailor Moon spoke. "You have no right to keep him from us!"
"We'd be more than willing to let him go if you hand over the Silver Crystal!" said Nephrite, and he and the other Kings of Heaven prepared to attack. "And for that matter, cease with your lies about our Queen!"
The four each went on the attack unleashing a powerful blast of energy. Sailor Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus immediately stepped in front of Solaris and Sailor Mon, shielding them from harm blocking the attack with their bodies. Kunzite then summoned forth a pair of boomerangs made of his energy and flung them at the Guardians. Before anyone had a chance to react, the boomerangs shot right past them and sliced across Sailor Moon's clothes as well as her skin making her cry out in pain. Solaris immediately rushed over to Sailor Moon, catching her in his arms before she fell.
Sailor Mercury then scowled. "You four are even more brainwashed than we realized!"
"Unforgivable!" agreed Sailor Mars angrily.
As Kunzite caught the boomerangs, Zoisite summoned forth a crystal arrow while Jadeite and Nephrite held up their hands, charging their energy.
"Do you honestly think that your pitiful attacks are going to work on our turf?" Zoisite asked snootily.
"Don't make us laugh!" yelled Jadeite and Nephrite.
They then unleashed their attacks gunning for the Guardians again. The attacks sliced across their skins and blew them back from the sheer force, but they bravely stood their ground, refusing to back down.
"Are you guys okay?!" asked Solaris worriedly.
"Don't worry about us, Solaris!" said Sailor Jupiter. "Just make sure you keep Sailor Moon safe!"
"But girls, you do realize what you're up against?" said Solaris. "You're not just fighting the Four Kings of Heaven-!"
"We know," interrupted Sailor Mars. "We're well aware. We're not just fighting the four of them; we're fighting against our former lovers. However, that doesn't matter."
"We're Sailor Guardians," said Sailor Mercury. "We fight to serve and protect the princess as well as you, the prince, no matter what!"
"And we're not about to let the past haunt us," added Sailor Venus. "Sure, they were once our lovers, but we're willing to steel our hearts to protect you two as well as save them!" She then turned to the others. "Come on, girls! Let's combine our powers! Four are stronger than one!"
They then held up their transformation pens in the air and shouted at the top of their lungs.
"VENUS POWER!"
"MERCURY POWER!"
"MARS POWER!"
"JUPITER POWER!"
The four transformation pens glowed bright and erected a wall-like barrier. Kunzite and the others attacked once again, firing their blasts of energy as well as their arrows and boomerangs. The wall shielded Sailor Moon and Solaris, but the guardians were still taking the full brunt of their attacks. They winced in pain as they tried to stay on their feet, but no matter how determined they were, the Guardians couldn't remain standing anymore. Seeing their determination, Sailor Moon and Solaris looked at each other and nodded. They then stood up and stood bravely before the Four Kings of Heaven.
"How dare you?! Even if you went out right now and bought us the finest haute-couture trend-setting designs for replacement," said Sailor Moon. "We can't forgive you for shredding a girl's clothes!"
"A girl's clothes are a national treasure!" continued Solaris. "They represent who the girl is, and also who she represents from her sense of style and pride!"
"In the name of the Moon..."
"And in the name of the Sun..."
"WE'LL PUNISH YOU!"
Sailor Moon raised the Crescent Moon Wand above her head, and Solaris summoned forth a shining ball of energy aiming.
"MOON HEALING ESCALATION!"
"SOLARIS SUNSHINE METEOR!"
Sailor Moon unleashed a powerful blast of sparkles and light while Solaris launched his Sunshine Meteor by punching it. The two attacks merged into one and bathed the Four Kings of Heaven in their light, causing all four of them to cry out in agony as they tried to resist.
"Please! Go back to your normal selves!" begged Solaris. "Remember who you all are!"
"N-Never!" yelled Kunzite as he struggled to his feet. "We.. are the Four Kings of Heaven! You can't make us yell "Refresh" ever!"
He then summoned forth another boomerang and then threw it at Sailor Moon. At that moment, Sailor Moon brought her hand back with her wand, and Solaris brought his hand to his side as if he was drawing a sword making a long thin line of energy appear in his hand. Then the two swung using their weapons, deflecting Kunziite's attack back at him. Kunzite, shocked, immediately brought up his cape to defend, but at the last minute, Zoisite pushed him out of the way, causing the boomerang to clip him right at his side, causing him to cry out in pain as he fell to the floor.
"No! Zoisite!" cried Kunzite as he, along with the others, rushed to his side to see if he was hurt.
Zoisite winced in agony as he held his side, some trickles of blood seeping through them. Kunzite then glared at Solaris and Sailor Moon, revenge quickly taking hold of him, but then Jadeite stopped him by grabbing his hand.
"Kunzite, it's best that we retreat for now," Jadeite said. "We must get Zoisite treated right away."
Kunzite growled in annoyance, but he knew that Jadeite was right. NO matter how much we wanted to kill the Guardians, taking care of Zoisite came first.
"You'll pay for this, Guardians!" he hissed. "Mark my words; you all will pay for what you did!"
And with that, the Four Kings of Heaven disappeared in the darkness. Artemis and Luna gazed at Solaris and Sailor Moon in amazement.
"Sailor Moon's power is incredible!" gasped Luna.
"Even greater than usual!" agreed Artemis. "And Solaris' power has increased just as much."
Sailor Moon then went over to the two cats taking Luna into her arms while Solaris checked over the other Guardians.
"Luna, are you going to be alright?" Sailor Moon asked Luna.
"I'll be okay, Usagi- I mean Sailor Moon... No, you're Serenity, aren't you?" Luna gasped as she spoke deliriously. "The Dark Kingdom's hideout is over at the D Point located in the Arctic Circle."
"You're all going to have to hurry before the dark spots on the sun spread completely!" Artemis spoke urgently. "Your only chance is to storm the place!"
"Now, hold on just a minute. Before we do anything else, we have to get everyone's wounds treated first, yours and Luna's especially, Artemis," said Solaris. "But don't worry, once we rest up, we'll storm the place and show the Dark Kingdom what for!"
"And we'll save the world and save Mamoru!" added Sailor Moon. "Right, everyone?!"
"Yeah!" concurred the other Guardians.
Kunzite was now treating Zoisite's wounds by using his energy in the Dark Kingdom. After a while, the injury was closed, and the bleeding also stopped.
"How is that, Zoisite? Feel any better?" asked Kunzite.
"Much better. Thank you, Kunzite," said Zoisite.
"I can't believe those Guardians got the upper hand on us again," cursed Jadeite clenching his fist. "And on our territory no less."
"Not only that, but they also had the nerve to say that Queen Beryl was manipulating us," said Nephrite crossly. "What blasphemy. Speaking of which, Queen Beryl will surely be displeased with us. Especially since we allowed those Guardians and those foolish cats to see where our base is."
"So who wants the honor of telling Queen Beryl first?" asked Zoisite with a hint of sarcasm. "I'm sure that she'll be thrilled to hear what we have to say."
"We'll all tell her," said Kunzite. "We all share the blame for what happened, so we'll all share the punishment."
The four of them then appeared in the throne room, preparing themselves for Queen Beryl to be furious, but they were surprised to see that Queen Beryl wasn't there. They looked around, wondering where she could have gone. Then they decided to look in the chamber where the cocoon of Queen Metalia was. When they got there, they were about to step inside the room when Kunzite raised his arm, stopping them.
"What's wrong, Kunzite?" asked Zoisite.
"Just keep quiet," hushed Kunzite. "Listen."
Zoisite, Nephrite, and Jadeite did so, and they could hear Queen Beryl talking to Queen Metalia.
"Great Ruler Metalia, the dark spots of the sun have almost spread entirely," Queen Beryl spoke. "The fateful day of when we take over the Earth is almost upon us."
"I'm well aware, Queen Beryl," spoke Queen Beryl. "However, we are running short of time considering that Prince Taiyou has awakened as well as Princess Serenity. It would be best to get rid of those two along with the other Guardians as soon as possible. Not to mention that more energy is still required if we are to take over the Earth."
"Fear not; everything will fall into place," said Queen Beryl. "Well before the Four Kings of Heaven remember their past lives."
The Four Kings of Heaven were shocked upon hearing what Queen Beryl said. At that moment, they felt a sharp pain in their heads, causing them to hold their heads in agony.
"Past lives?!" gasped Jadeite.
"What does she mean by that?!" wondered Nephrite.
"Who are we really?!" groaned Zoisite.
At that moment, all four of them saw a vision. The four could see themselves standing before Prince Endymion, raising their swords proudly and swearing that they would protect him even at the cost of their lives, with Endymion smiling with pride. Then all of their memories began flooding back to their minds.
"Is... this a vision from our past lives?!" gasped Jadeite in realization.
"I... I remember now!" spoke Nephrite. "We were knights that served Prince Endymion!"
"We were reincarnated in this time, here on Earth to find him again!" Zoisite spoke incredulously.
"But we crossed paths with Queen Beryl, and like before, she put us under her spell before we realized it," murmured Kunzite. "Solaris was telling the truth after all!"
"So, you've remembered everything..." said a voice from somewhere behind them.
Kunzite and the others quickly turned around to find Queen Beryl standing before them in the doorway. Their faces immediately turned to angry scowls feeling betrayed.
"Queen Beryl!" growled Kunzite.
"How could you?!" Nephrite spoke with fury.
"You used us for your evil plans, just as Solaris said!" Zoisite said, seething.
"And so what if I did?" Queen Beryl spoke coolly. "For me to win this game, I needed some pawns to sacrifice, and who better to be those pawns than the four of you!"
"DAMN YOU!" roared Kunzite exploding in anger.
He and the other Kings of Heaven lunged at Queen Beryl, hoping to make her pay, but Queen Beryl immediately put the brakes on them by tapping her staff on the ground. A powerful wave of black energy swiftly crept along right under their feet, instantly making them feel a shock of lightning so through them, making them cry in agony.
"It hurts, I know. But don't worry, I'm not done with you four yet," Queen Beryl cackled maliciously. "Not until the Dark Kingdom rises and the Earth belongs to me!"
"Please! Stop this, Queen Beryl, this is wrong!" begged Kunzite trying to reason with her. "This isn't what we were reborn for!"
But Queen Beryl didn't listen as she cast a powerful spell on them, once again bringing them under her control.
"Now... you four will obey me," said Queen Beryl. "You will eliminate the Guardians and take the Silver Crystal!"
The Four Kings of Heaven stood before their master, their eyes glowing red as they bowed before her, all speaking in unison.
"Yes, Queen Beryl."